The conventional wisdom has been that Lt. Gov. Dan Forest has been the NCGOP’s nominee-in-waiting for the 2020 gubernatorial race. Well, it appears NCGOP chairman Robin “Gramps” Hayes has additional information on the matter.

At one point in the debate, Womack spoke about “when we elect Dan Forest governor.” Hayes immediately cut Womack off: “What are you going to do about people other than Dan Forest running? You got four that want to do that.”

Hayes didn’t identify those “four” on camera. Word on the street has it that Pat McCrory is looking at a comeback, and Thom Tillis is getting a little bored with DC. Some interesting mailer activity lately involving senator Phil Berger has observers speculating HE may be looking at a run.

Later in the debate, Hayes took on the subject again: “Jim, you stood up in Alamance County and talked about getting Dan Forest elected governor. We don’t know who all is running for governor.”

It’s interesting to see Robin Hayes suddenly taking an interest in the sanctity of primaries. Shortly after he was installed as state party chairman in the wake of the coup against Hasan Harnett, Hayes was outed as a fundraiser sponsor for then-candidate Ted Budd — one of a crowd of Republicans seeking the nomination for the newly-drawn 13th congressional district. (He quietly withdrew from the fundraiser amid the uproar caused by reports in this site and other media outlets.)

Robin’s grandson Dallas Woodhouse was caught multiple times using state party resources to promote Richard Burr’s candidacy while he had primary opposition. During Hayes’s previous chairmanship, he and his then vice-chairman Wayne King were outed on numerous occasions meddling in GOP primaries.

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23 thoughts on “FOUR GOP candidates for NC governor in 2020?”

Hmm. Phil Berger would be a good candidate as well as Lt. Dan. That would be a somewhat hard choice. I do wonder why Berger would want to go to a position with less real power in the state. I guess he would just want his name in what is a bit more high profile position in the media.

Even with these heavenly gerrymander dustricts these rethuglicans wiil have a huge lift to get antone of them elected to the governorship of north carolina due to their elitist ideas an their aggro ING the needs of the citizen if this state that heavy da it’s the democratic party it is time for another 100 year run of the democratic party in this state I say less throw these uncaring bums out of office for good especially Tillis Burr Berger an the whole rethuglican bunch to never be heard from aga in an as for paddy boy mccorkier he stands as much chance of becoming governor again as a s ow ball in hell. Jim Hall

How did this even get past the moderator? This guy writes like some of those intellectually challenged people on the NC Policy Watch blog.

I do like the “heavenly gerrymander” districts quote though. That is a good way to describe the districts as it is kind of like a heavenly force finally got the demorat party out of their 140 years of ruling with an iron fist.

No longer. Not after the repeal of HB-2. Its Dan Forest for Governor or bust, for myself anyway. Besides, all that stuff we hate….solar subsidies, Certificate of Need, etc.,….none of that stuff exists without the Senate, so we know Berger is partially complicit for all that unconservative garbage.

The acid test of character was the extremely high profile issue of bathroom privacy in HB2. Forest passed with flying colors while Berger fouled out. Berger revealed severe character flaws, a fundamental cowardice and a willingness to betray his party base. We do not need either of those character flaws in a governor.

Phil Berger WOULD have been a candidate to consider UNTIL he cowardly sold us down the river on HB2. And it looks like he is about to sell us out on redistricting, too. Now I would not vote for him for dogcatcher in a primary, and would even have to hold my nose to vote for him in a general election. HB2 seperated the men from the girly men and Berger failed that t4est miserably. Phil Berger no longer has the backbone to be a credible contender.

Thom Tillis, Phil Berger, Robin Hayes, Pat Mc Croy did NOT and do NOT support working Jobs of coastal counties, COASTAL INDUSTRY of Commercial Fisheries they tried to destroy. CCA donations to them was more important. CCA = .0015 % of NC Licensed Fishermen.

BS. Freedom Caucus and Rand Paul people campaigned on repeal only. President Trump NOT only campaigned for REPEAL AND REPLACE but also campaigned against a REPEAL ONLY bill and said he would not sign a repeal only bill.

Anyway, Cruzbots and NeverTrumpers are dead to me. You people lost. Get on the Trump Train or move the heck on.

It is not just Dems that are delusional. People who got on board the Trump train after it pulled out of the station are the first ones jumping off. You guys will NEVER get dominance in the party. Ever. And Ted ruined his future on the national level with his stunt at the convention. #ColdAnger

Berger ran Roy Cooper’s bill for him on HB2. Berger massively betrayed the GOP base on an extremely high profile issue, and in doing so has made himself unacceptable to many who used to think he was great. Berger can only blame himself for crapping in his mess kit on that one.

NO ONE except a left leaning/acting RINO would even think of giving Dan Forrest a primary. This kind of crap is driving true conservatives right out of the party. That will be the Hayes/Woodhouse legacy. Hope they’re defeated at the convention. Good riddance!

Why would anyone consider that loser McCrory? He has now blown two out of three governor’s races he should have won. Forest, on the other hand, is a consistent winner. McCrory also staffed his administration with far too many non-Republicans and we do not need that mistake again.

Tillis? What a joke! With his voting record, if he runs it will probably be as a Democrat, which would be a better fit for his left of center ideology. Tillis is a worse choice than ever Roy Cooper.

Hudson? We do not need an establishment lackey in Congress, much less in the governor’s mansion. We rememver too well who his political sugar daddy was.

Berger? He would have been a credible choice until this legislative session. Now he has become too much of a surrender monkey, knuckling under to corporate bullies on HB2. That stain will forever follow him and forever make him unacceptable. If he caves in on the Obamacare Medicaid expansion, he will just dig himself in deeper. This is sad, because I used to really like Berger, but he has changed and the new Berger is not at all appealing.

Tillis should move to New York, and run for Senate there. Pat would lose again, for all the same reasons. None of them being HB2. Phil has dug himself a hole this session, and can’t seem to put down the shovel. Dan Forest has been my choice for Governor for the past 6 years.

Let’s not forget that Hayes backed Mark Harris in 2014 to split the Greg Brannon vote to give us Tillis. His hands were deep in that too. He knew Harris was not viable. Robin Hayes has repeatedly sold NC out. The most egregious example was his vote in Congress for CAFTA. His grandfather, Charlie Cannon, must have been rolling in his grave.